I wanted to take a long nap, but I had to lift my heavy eyelids because Cha Yi-hwan was staring intently at me.

Honestly, he’s so consistent. Doesn’t he ever get tired of just looking at me like that? Come to think of it, he never talks about his family, and he doesn’t seem to have a good relationship with his father either.

It hasn’t been long since we officially started seeing each other, and we haven’t had the chance to ask about such personal things and get to know each other. It was hard to even define our relationship. I was also hesitant to suddenly pry into his deep secrets.

Lying face-to-face with him after sex became a habit. When I rubbed my blurry eyes, his fingertips rushed over to gently stroke my tired eyes. A rough yet tender person. I’ve gotten somewhat used to this distance between us now.

“But, Sunbae, don’t you have any siblings? A younger sister or an older sister? I don’t think you have an older brother.”

It was a question like a casual greeting. A question that even non-lovers could easily ask. Usually, couples get to know each other step by step before dating, but we skipped so many steps and ended up at the top.

Looking down from the top, there’s so much I don’t know about him. Maybe he knows more about me. He said he liked me back in college. The one who likes someone usually knows more about the other person.

“I had one, but they died.”

It was a light curiosity, but the weight of the answer that came back was heavy. His long fingers traced my face and then swept through my hair. His languid touch soon smoothed my disheveled hair as well.

A nonchalant face despite the deep wound, a tender touch. Yeon caught his wrist that flicked the tip of her nose. And slowly, she intertwined her fingers with his.

“Cha Yi-hwan.”

“My old man had a child outside and abandoned him. He couldn’t bear it.”

Someone whose burden was too heavy to endure the pain. He didn’t say anything more, and Yeon didn’t ask or speak further. The one left behind carries the pain of the deceased.

Yeon, who had experienced the same pain, knew better than anyone the pressure of that weight. She had learned from experience that she found more comfort in silently sharing the pain than in a hundred empty words.

Yeon slowly closed her eyes and moved her body close to his face. The tips of their noses touched. Yi-hwan’s scent, which she could recognize even with her eyes closed. She let her body temperature tell him that she was by his side, instead of words.

“Jeong-yeon.”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t want anything else, I just hope you stay by my side for a long, long time.”

“......”

“Even if it’s not me, you can still see me by your side, right?”

“So... if I say I’m leaving, you’ll just watch?”

It was a question tinged with aegyo, but his eyes widened, and he corrected her words with a fierce intensity.

“I just mean, I mean. So to speak. If I had to give an example. It’s better than you dying.”

His huffing and puffing made her ears turn red. Yeon suppressed a laugh and pretended to sink into deep thought with a “hmm.”

“So, you’re saying it’s better for me to be with another man than to die?”

“If you’re with another guy, I’ll dig him up and bring you back. Do you think I’d let you be taken away?”

“Okay, I was just saying. Should I kiss you?”

The anger that quickly subsided soon turned into excitement. But he didn’t rush or get carried away. He was gauging her mood. That was cute, so Yeon reached out and hugged him, kissing him first.

Then, the reins on his control, which always held him back, were released, and his fuse blew as he pounced on her like he was going to devour her. It was always like this. He would understand what she wanted with just a look and give it to her right away.

Yes, Yeon decided to believe that they had endless time to get to know each other. And if it wasn’t endless, so what? Even without that promise, she was satisfied with pouring her present into him without regret. At least for now, she was certain of them.

________________________________________

Last time, a grateful guest visited the police substation, thanking us for saving her child who was about to get hurt. The woman, holding the hand of a child who had grown noticeably taller since then, was visibly pregnant, unlike the last time.

Even a simple visit would have been welcome, but with such good news, it couldn’t have been better.

“Congratulations on your pregnancy.”

“Thank you, Officer Jeong.”

“I wondered who the visitor was when they said someone was looking for me.”

“I wanted to visit sooner, but I couldn’t find the time because I was so busy. But the baby’s father kept telling me to come and say hello. Our family is happy now thanks to you, Officer Jeong.”

The woman, fidgeting with her orange juice, bowed her head deeply with sincerity. A silent, heartfelt gratitude that went beyond mere thankfulness reached Yeon’s heart.

“Oh, no. I just did what was natural.”

“But you saved our family. If something had happened to our Min-joon, our family would have been over. Thank you.”

They talked for a long time over the orange juice, and then they shared the warm emotion in silence for a long time. Her mother still didn’t like her working as a police officer. But Yeon wholeheartedly welcomed the overwhelming sense of accomplishment that washed over her, enough to bring tears to her eyes.

Yeon still didn’t regret her choice. She might not become as great a police officer as her father, but at least during work hours, she would do her best in the given tasks.

“Then please be careful on your way.”

“Min-joon, say hello to the police officer.”

“Thank you.” She waved at the child who bowed politely with both hands clasped together. Under the hot sunlight, the mother and child walked away, but Yeon couldn’t go inside and stood there for a while, watching their receding figures.

“Oh, Officer Jeong. You look quite cool?”

“Don’t tease me, Sergeant Lee.”

“I’m serious. Really. You’ve grown up so much.”

A chuckle escaped her lips, and Sergeant Lee’s eyes widened.

“What? Are you smiling now? Are you finally not going to nag me?”

“Oh, please stop with the jokes. Let’s go in.”

Even as Yeon entered the police substation, she thought back to the image of the mother and child.

Building a family, is it a happy thing? For the first time, it seemed so.

________________________________________

“You should focus on the movie, why are you just looking at me like that?”

“Who was it that held my hand saying they liked it?”

“I just held it because I kept seeing it.”

Pointing out that he specifically held her hand, Yeon held his driving hand once more.

Such a big and warm hand. He wasn’t particularly affectionate, but he was very considerate when it came to her, and everything revolved around his mood. Just like the Earth revolving around the Sun, she was entirely centered on him.

He was a person who made her feel loved without having to say “I love you.” Even without uttering the words of love, with just a hand holding hers, with just a careful kiss that touched her, he knew how to convey all those feelings. That’s why, when his touch reached her, she always felt like a special person.

“...Sunbae.”

“Huh?”

He made a left turn without letting go of her hand.

She would probably have to be the one to let go of this hand first. If she asked him to hold it all night, he surely would. Even if his arm was cut off, even if his heart was pierced through, he would.

“Would you like to sleep over at my place tonight?”

Yeon looked at him with as much sincerity as possible in her returning gaze.

“It looks like it’s going to rain, and I might be a little scared in the early morning.”

Last time, it rained in the early morning, and she sent him a text saying it was a bit eerie, and he came straight to her house. Looking at the time, it was clear he had left his house as soon as he received the text.

It was particularly dark in front of her house. They stayed together a little longer, and it became late at night. The engine was off, but neither of them could get out first, and they fiddled with their clasped hands.

“...Why are you looking at me like that?”

He was just staring intently at her with both eyes, and his low voice asked her intentions. A voice already layered upon the quiet atmosphere.

“Well, never mind if you don’t want to. I’m going to go eat some late-night snacks.”

I peeled off his hand, which clung to mine like clay, but his burning gaze remained fixed on me. Knowing full well, Yeon got out of the car and walked up the stairs to her house. Sure enough, she heard the sound of footsteps following her.

The sound of his dress shoes. The rustling of her bag against her pants, the gurgling of his Adam’s apple, and the sound of him swallowing. Yeon, who had been holding her breath and listening to the sounds that seemed unnecessarily sensitive, turned around.

Her eyes met his as he stopped halfway up the stairs. One step, two steps more. He slowly climbed up and stood facing her.

After promising to share their love, he became a little more cautious and more passionate. While Yeon found his anxiousness, as if their love would fly away if he wasn’t careful, endearing, she kept it to herself and remained silent.

As she reached out her hand, he hugged her tightly, like a runner hearing the starting whistle. The breath that moistened her ear had been holding back desire for a long time. Sticky lips clung to hers, followed by the tangling of tongues and the mingling of breaths.

“Mmm...”

What to do? I want to do it again. We were together all night yesterday, but I’m already feeling aroused again, and my lower body is itching.

Yeon clung to him like a koala, relying on his solid presence. She changed the angle of their joined lips and continued the kiss when, thud, something fell. The tongues that hadn’t parted even then separated because of the woman’s short gasp.

“Yeon-ah?”

Still held in Yi-hwan’s embrace, Yeon only turned her head to identify the source of the sound.

“Mom?”

“You...”

Jumi’s eyes immediately flew to Yi-hwan standing next to her and pierced him. Her sudden appearance made Yeon’s mind go blank. She thought they had been passionately kissing and even moaning. She hadn’t even collected her jumbled thoughts when Jumi was staring intently at Yi-hwan with eyes almost as big as a full moon.

“How did you get here? At this hour?”

“How else? I told you I came back yesterday. I was on my way back from meeting a client all afternoon today.”

“No, but to come without even a word...”

“But who is this?”

Yi-hwan, having grasped the situation, bowed his head politely first.

It seemed that Jeong-yeon was the only one who was out of her mind.

“I see. You two are dating, my daughter and you.”

Jumi, who couldn’t lie, had the corners of her lips rising towards her cheekbones. Their simple introductions were already over, and Jumi, with a face that clearly had a lot more to say, sipped her coffee.

“You kept saying you were doing well, so that’s why?”

“It’s not like that. Mom, don’t say strange things.”

“I’m saying it because I’m worried, since you can’t possibly be doing well but you keep saying you are. Your grandmother is sick, I worry if you’re eating properly, and you keep saying you have clients coming to see me. Do you even know how I feel?”

“...Have some coffee. It’ll get cold.”

Even though he hadn’t done anything in particular, Jumi seemed to like Yi-hwan very much. Could she, her mother who had lived with her for decades, possibly not know? Yeon shook her head.

“You haven’t already finished preparing your trousseau, have you?”

“Trousseau? What?”

“In your belly.”

“Oh, Mom.”

I really can’t with my mom. Yeon pressed her lips to her mug, trying to calm her flushed cheeks.

“It’s not like that.”

“Why isn’t it? Aren’t you two seeing each other with marriage in mind anyway? You’re both old enough, it can’t be a casual relationship. You’ll do it all anyway once you’re married.”

She hadn’t even discussed marriage with him once, and they were just in the beginning stages of dating. She had always been skeptical about marriage, but after her first assignment to the police substation, she had been busy with work, her love life was a mess, and there hadn’t been a good time to seriously think about marriage.

She felt envious watching her friends who were pregnant and living happily with their husbands, but she didn’t feel so desperate as to create a non-existent man and get married right away.

“Seeing how close you seem with my daughter, I won’t ask any more questions. Someday, when the time is right, let’s have a deeper conversation.”

She looked at him sitting next to her with a serious face. He slightly bowed his head and gave a weighty reply to Jumi’s words. Still, my daughter was dating. Watching Jumi drink her coffee with a smile on her face, just like that, Yeon felt somehow embarrassed. It was the first time showing her mother this side of her, and it felt like she was naked.

“I will cherish her.”

He said as he lifted his cup to take another sip of coffee. His still serious and low voice was never loud, but it was strong; it wasn’t forceful, but it felt certain; it didn’t have any embellishments, but it was clear.

“Whether it’s dating or marriage or whatever it is, I will make sure she can be happy by my side.”

He vowed with unwavering eyes that he would do so.

After Jumi left, a subtle air settled in the house where only the two of them remained.

“Do you want another cup of coffee? No, you have to go to work tomorrow, so it’s better not to drink any more today.”

Yeon put down her empty cup and sat facing him, who was looking at her.

“You know, Sunbae, are we seeing each other with marriage in mind?”

It wasn’t a question asked as a seduction, but a genuine inquiry about his thoughts.

“What about you? What do you think?”

“Me... honestly, I’ve never really thought about it, so I don’t know. I’ve never deeply considered marriage. No, to be honest, I’ve been a bit skeptical. As you know, my dating history hasn’t been very happy. So, I guess you could say my faith has faded. There was no room for me to dream of being happy with someone.”

But then he said something unexpected, that he would make her happy. It was one of those things people say like sweet nothings when they’re in love. I’ll make you happy. But in Cha Yi-hwan’s words, there was a certain emotion that encompassed so much. Even a single promise held the weight of gold.

Even if there were unhappy days, he was the kind of man who would unfailingly keep his promise to hold her hand throughout.

“But you know what? I want to try that from now on. I want to seriously date Cha Yi-hwan with marriage in mind.”

She crawled towards him and kissed his lips. This time, she looked up at him with sufficiently seductive eyes.

“I’m serious right now.”

“...Ha.”

He squeezed his eyes shut and then slowly opened them. A gaze that had lost all dryness, filled with longing and wavering, was revealed towards her.

“Right now, I’m so damn, no, so very serious that my head feels like it’s going to explode and go crazy.”

“I’m here. You just have to reach out your hand.”

With eyes brimming as if he were about to cry, he pounced on her. She hugged him. Their lips overlapped, and their underwear was removed. They mingled together until the heat entered her and her body melted away.

His sincerity in loving her was so intense that she actually cried during sex, but he probably thought they were tears of excitement from the act. Still, he seemed to know. Without her saying a word, he understood all her overwhelming emotions.

________________________________________

Eun-song had a baby. A daughter, cute like her and already looking clever.

Eun-song didn’t ask what happened after that, and Yeon didn’t bring it up on purpose. The focus of their conversation was solely on the new mother and baby in the postpartum care center. She thought that was the polite thing to do in her own way. After spending a short time listening to Eun-song’s tales of childbirth, Yeon left the care center.

Today was a night shift, so she had to go to the police substation around evening. Since she had some time left, she planned to visit Yi-hwan’s company, as she had promised him after his insistent requests.

The days had gotten a little shorter. The sweltering summer that had given her headaches was passing. A wind carrying the scent of autumn blew. News of a class reunion also came. This time, she would likely go instead of Eun-song, who would be busy with the baby.

Should she go with Yi-hwan? Cha Yi-hwan was a famous figure in school, so everyone who knew him would know. She could already picture her friends’ reactions.

She got out of the taxi and walked towards the building she saw. She saw him come down to the lobby and stand at the building entrance.

Wearing a shirt, he looked every bit the CEO who had come down from work. He had his hand in his suit pants pocket and stood leaning casually as their eyes met.

She waved her hand, and he strode towards her. He still had no reservations, even knowing where this was.

She instantly hugged him, and Yeon smiled warmly in his embrace.

<Main Story End>